Here at Barbless Flies, May, June & July are by far and away our busiest months, you will often find both Jack and I burning the midnight oil at least 6 days a week: getting all of your orders out in a timely fashion, working on new fly patterns whilst also continuing to write books/articles and emails.

I often find that by the end of the day, I am completely exhausted (both mentally and physically), so I don't often fish in the evenings - I prefer to sit quietly with a good fishing book and a glass of something Scottish! 

During these three months, I try to plan my fishing trips accordingly, and fish very early in the morning - I have to drive alongside the river on my way into Barbless Flies HQ, so it would be rude not to stop for a cast or two (or three) while the mornings are still so light.

The two pre-production versions of these fly patterns contained in this email are ones I first 'road tested' with great success exactly 1 year ago today!

TL;DR - Too Long; Didn't Read

I know that some of you are pressed for time and save our emails to read later in the day, by this time our selections are sometimes sold out (I get lots of emails from customers pointing this out to me).

I've put this section at the beginning, so you can grab your flies now - and save reading my musings for later, safe in the knowledge that you have already secured your 'Match The Hatch' fly selection.

This email is all about two different fly patterns, the Rolls Royce Caddis & The EDGE Emerger, both of which are spectacularly successful at this time of year. Both of the patterns are tied using the very best quality materials on AHREX hooks - the best hooks there are.

Grab Yours here:

At this time of the day, one of the most popular dry fly imitations I use (outside of the Mayfly hatch) is the humble Caddis/Sedge pattern - these are nocturnal insects that return to the water to lay their eggs, just as I'm arriving on the river.

This email includes two different patterns which are perfect for this time of year, the first of which is ...

The Rolls Royce Caddis

There are many different variations of Caddis/Sedge fly, but today we have one of the very best Caddis/Sedge patterns available - it's the Rolls Royce of Caddis patterns.

It was originally devised in the USA (where it's called the Cadillac Caddis), so we've anglicised it and renamed it to the Rolls Royce Caddis - it's the combination of a detached body and elk-hair wing which makes it deadly when fished on the faster more ripply water - it floats high on virtually all types of water and will fool fish throughout the UK, no matter which river (or stillwater) you are on!

This Caddis / Sedge imitation is perfectly proportioned and tied with a small detached body and elk-hair wings - it will not need any extra floatant to keep it riding hight all day (or morning) long.

Caddis - Top Tips

Caddis (or Sedge) flies are best used in either the early or late part of the day, as this is when the flies are at their most active. These Caddis flies are deadly in the smaller sizes just at twilight!

When fishing with a Caddis fly, it's always worth giving it a little twitch every now and then if you are not getting attention from the fish. When you watch the naturals, their flight is very haphazard and they always land on the water with quite a commotion - they are not the daintiest of movers! Keep this in mind when covering rising fish.

Our Rolls Royce Caddis pattern has been tied by our Artisan tyers using the highest quality materials, it is tied on an AHREX FW525 and available in three different sizes 14, 16 & 18.

As we know this will be a very popular pattern, we have bundled it into a selection which includes three or each hook sizes - nine flies in total:

 

We've only got 40 of these Rolls Royce Caddis Selections available - I'm keeping a few dozen back for myself, to use (lose) over the next 6 weeks or so!

Our Rolls Royce Caddis Selection contains 3 each of sizes 14, 16 & 18. That's nine flies in total, for only £15.00 delivered free of charge to anywhere in the UK.

Keep reading for more info on the Caddis/Sedge - you'll be glad you did ...

Please Remember: We've only 40 of these selections available, so if you want a set, you will need to be quick - These flies can also be bought individually here if you would like to top up your selection!

Go on, treat yourself - you know you want to - at only £15 for the selection, these will not hang around for long!

Want to know a little more about the Caddis/Sedge?

What is it?

There are around 30 distinct Caddis/Sedge species found throughout the UK, Europe and Russia. These Caddis flies are known as "humpless case-maker Caddis flies". These flies are easily identified as they will generally be the only fly on the water flying as if it is drunk (i.e. very haphazardly).

Please Note: You will often see these flies referred to as either Caddis or Sedge; they are both the same and are interchangeable as far as the fly angler is concerned.

Location(s)

They are found in every part of the British Isles. They can be especially prolific in Central, Southern and South West England; in Wales and Northern England (Ribble and Eden), and in parts of Scotland. Most Caddis flies are only found in running water, they prefer gently running water, so you do not usually find them hatching in very high and fast-flowing rivers. The various caddis flies usually start hatching at the beginning of April and will continue through right until the end of September.

When do trout take them?

Trout will take Caddis in any one of its three stages (nymph, emerger and dry). Caddis will generally hatch during the warmest part of the day (anytime between 11am and 3pm), so this is when to try an emerger pattern. Caddis usually hatch from shallower water and don't give the trout much of a chance to intercept them on their way to the surface. The best time to use a caddis imitation is either in the evening or in the early mornings when the adult females return to the water to deposit their eggs - time to give your new Tri-Colour Caddis flies a try. These flies should be fished as you would any other dry fly, and they should be used as soon as you start to see the insects on the water; this can be anytime from about 18:00 until after dark and very early in the morning.

This email includes two different patterns which are perfect for this time of year, the second one is ...

The EDGE Emerger

This version of a Shuttlecock emerging Olive is one of the best imitations I have tried on our local river - I think it's the added flash in the tail which sparks the fish's interest!

We asked our Artisan fly tying masters to tie us a fly pattern which embodies all that we have setup with our "The Fly Fishing EDGE" learning centre - and this was the result - a fairly simple pattern at first glance, the detail is outstanding, and it works!

Here it is:

This emerging Olive imitation is perfectly proportioned and tied with a small thorax, bare body, two flash tails and a CdC Shuttlecock wing - you will need a little floatant on the CdC tips to keep this fly floating just in the surface.

We are making this pattern available today in sizes 14, 16 & 18, and also as a selection:

We've only got 50 of these exclusive EDGE Emerger Selections available, so act fast to secure yours!

Our The EDGE Emerger Selection features a carefully curated assortment, three each of sizes 14, 16 & 18. In total, you'll receive nine expertly crafted flies, all for just £15.00, with free delivery to anywhere in the UK!

Please Remember: We've only 50 of these selections available, so if you want a set, you will need to be quick - These flies can also be bought individually here if you would like to top up your selection!

Go on, treat yourself - you know you want to - at only £15 for the selection, these will not hang around for long!

Tight lines & have a great weekend.